Meat-tenderizing machine

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a meat-tenderizing machine comprising stationary columns, a grid pressing upon the piece of meat which, owing to inclined hinged rings rubbing against the columns, should be maintained in position while the tenderizing blades are pulled upwardly out of the piece of meat, the improvement being that the columns bear at these tops owing to which the grid is prevented from ascending beyond a given topmost position, should the grid accompany the blades in their ascending movement in spite of the inclined rings.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Fernand Stanislas Allinqunnt 53 Avenue LeNotre, Sceaux, France [21 Appl. No 745,758 [22] Filed July 18, 1968 [45] Patented May 4, 1971 [54] MEAT-TENDERIZING MACHINE 8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. CI 17/25 [51] Int. Cl.. A22c 9/00 [50] Field of Search 17/25 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,559,270 7/ 1951 Abbott 17/25 3,283,360 11/1966 Tamain 17/25 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,198,470 6/1959 France 17/25 1,216,632 11/1959 France 17/25 Primary Examiner-Lucie H. Laudenslager Att0meyCumpston, Shaw & Stephens ABSTRACT: The invention relates to a meat-tenderizing machine comprising stationary columns, a grid pressing upon the piece of meat which, owing to inclined hingedrings rubbing against the columns, should be maintained in position while the tenderin'ng blades are pulled upwardly out of the piece of meat, the improvement being that the columns bear at these tops owing to which the grid is prevented from ascending beyond a given topmost position, should the grid accompany the blades in their ascending movement in spite of the inclined rings.

PATENTEDMAY 4m 3,577,585

SHEET 4 [1F 4 INVENTOR FERNAND STAN/SL145 flul/vqwmvr HTTOPNE Y5 MEAT-TENDERIZING MACHINE The present invention relates to improvements in a meat tenderizing machine comprising in known mariner: two verti cal cylindrical guide columns; a horizontal crossmember carrying on its lower face descending vertical blade plates and provided with two principal vertical bores through which the columns pass, and two secondary vertical bores, situated between the principal bores: two vertical rods passing respectively through the two secondary bores and carrying on their lower ends a grid formed of bars between which the blade plates are adapted to move; a'horizontal bar which is arranged above the crossmember and to which are secured the two rods: a ring pivoted to each end of the bar, surrounding the nearest column, sliding on the column without appreciable friction when it rests on the crossmember, and thus occupies a horizontal position, and on the contrary rubbing against the column when it does not occupy the said horizontal position;

and a device for causing the crossmember to ascend from a lower position in which the rings do not rest on it.

This machine functions as follows: The horizontal crossmember is first of all in its highest position and the horizontal bar arranged above the crossmember is therefore also in its highest position. A piece of meat to be tenderized is placed on a fixed plate arranged below the grid. ln a first downward movement, the horizontal crossmember is lowered. By the effect of gravity, the grid' accompanies the crossmember. It thus arrives in contact with the piece of meat and is stopped. ln a second downward movement, the crossmember is lowered still further, and the blades which it carries penetrate the piece of meat to be tenderized. The crossmember is then raised and with it the blades. The piece of meat tends to be lifted with the blades and consequently to lift the grid resting on it, but the ring pivoted to each end of the horizontal bar connected to the grid swivels downwardly on its hinge pin; it therefore no longer occupies a horizontal position and it rubs against the column surrounding it. The bar and consequently also the grid therefore remain immobilized. When the blade plates have thus made a first upward movement, corresponding to their second downward movement, the crossmember comes into contact-with the rings, lifts them, imparts to them their horizontal position in which they no longer rub appreciably against the column, and consequently the crossmember may be given a secondupward movement, which corresponds to its first downward movement, and in which the bar is pushed by the crossmember. The crossmember and grid thus return to their initial starting position.

In the operation just recalled of. this known machine, however, it happens that during the first upward movement, the rings and consequently the grid are moved up with the crossmember, although the rings are inclined to the horizontal and therefore rub against the corresponding columns. The result is that at the end of the first irpward movement and in the second ,upward movement of the crossmember, the blades project below the grid. The lower ends of the blades are therefore no longer protected; these blades are fragile and may therefore be damaged.

According to the invention, this disadvantage is remedied as follows: Each guide column carries a stop which occupies a position in which it arrests the rod if the latter has been carried along with the crossmember before the rings rest on the crossmember.

Owing to this arrangement, if the grid has accompanied the crossmember during part of its first upward movement, it is returned to its correct initial starting position at the end of the second upward movement.

On the other hand, although the grid ought normally, under the effect of gravity, to accompany the crossmember in the first downward movement of the latter, it may happen that, for a fortuitous cause, it does not accompany it during its entire movement. In this case also, the lower ends of the blades project from the crossmember. This disadvantage is remedied as follows: A spring urges the ring downward into an oblique position.

The rings thus rubs in certain manner against the column except when the horizontal bar rests on the crossmember.

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings given as nonrestrictive example, will show well how the invention may be put into practice, the features resulting from both drawings and text forming, of course, part of the said invention.

The embodiment example which is to be described is that of a. relatively large machine. This machine comprises a second horizontal bar and is symmetrical with respect to a vertical central plane perpendicular to the two horizontal bars.

The FlGS. in the accompanying drawings represent:

FIG. 1, a front elevation with partial section along different frontal planes of the machine according to the invention;

FIG. '2, a side elevation with partial section of the same machine, the top part and bottom part of the FIG. representing two different supporting columns, one behind and one in front of the section plane;

FIGS. 3 and 4, a half-elevation with partial section of the machine according to the invention for two different positions of the crossmember;

FIG. 5, a front elevation with partial section and on a larger scale part of the machine according to the invention;

FIG. 6, a view from below of one end of a horizontal bar and of the ring which it carries;

FlG. 7, a front view of the set of bars forming part of the grid.

In these FIGS. 10 denotes a fixed frame having a substantially rectangular base and supporting a horizontal meat-carrying plate 11 and a crossmember 13. The fixed frame 10 comprises internally, in the vicinity of the center of two of its opposite faces a lower cylindrical sleeve 12, and the crossmember 13 comprises two sleeves 12a situated respectively above the two sleeves 12. Each sleeve 12 and 12a encloses a liner 14 or 14a. The frame 10 has a bearing 15 on each of the two same opposite faces which carry the sleeves 12. These two faces are'the two lateral faces of the machine. The other two faces are the two frontal faces, respectively front, before which stands the user, and rear. The crossmember 13, in the vicinity of its four corners, carries four guide columns 52.

The two bearings 15 carry a shaft 16 on one end of which an operating lever 17 is mounted outside of the frame 10. The shaft 16 carries two cranks 48. Two connecting rods 19 are each pivoted by their top end 18 to a crank 48 and at their bottom end 20 to a horizontal bar 45 carried by a vertical stay plate 21. The plate 21 carries a motor 44 which, by means of a speed reducer 23, rotates a circular plate 24 on its axis 25. Mounted in the circular plate 24 is an eccentric plate 26 having its axis at 27 and carrying a connecting rod 28 pivoted by its bottom end 29 to a lower horizontal crossmember 30. Rigidly connected to this lower crossmember 30 are two vertical supporting columns 31 passing through the sleeves 14 and 14a. The two columns 31 are rigidly connected by their top end, by means of screws 61, to an upper horizontal crossmember 32, carrying on its lower face descending vertical blade plates 33. Compression springs 42, protected by telescopic tubes 43, return the crossmember 32 to its upper position.

The crossmember 32 is provided with four vertical principal bores through which pass the four guide columns 52, and with four vertical secondary bores. Each secondary bore is situated in the vicinity of a principal bore, the centers of the circular horizontal sections of the secondary bores are the corners of a rectangle, a same vertical frontal plane contains the axes of the two front principal bores and the axes of the two front secondary bores, and similarly a same rear frontal vertical plane contains the axes of the two rear principal bores and the axes of the two rear secondary bores. Two front and rear frontal horizontal bars 34 rest by means of washers 62 on the crossmember 32, and through each of them passes, in the vicinity of their ends, a lateral pin 46 on which is adapted to rotate a ring 47 surrounding the adjacent guide column 52 and adapted to rest on a stud 53 carried by the crossmember 32. A

vertical rod 35 passeslthrough each of the secondary bores 34 and-washers 62, on the crossmember 32. By means which will be described hereafter the rods 35 on their lower part carry the frame 40 of a grid 55 comprising parallel bars 56 carried by a rail 57. The grid is oriented in the direction for which the blade plates 33are able to pass between the bars 56. ln the drawings, the grid and the blades are perpendicular to plane of FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5 and parallel to the plane of FIGS. 2 and 6. The two rear rods 35 each carry a horizontal hinge pin 58 perpendicular to the blade plates 33 and to the bars 56, and the frame 40 of the grid carries two lugs 49 each pivoted on a pin 58. The frame 40 of the grid also carries two brackets, arranged in the same front frontal plane, each'front rod 35 also carries a bracket, and two pivot pins 59 and 41, perpendicular to the blade plates 33 and to the bars 34 of the grid, pass through the brackets and a link 39.

Each guide column 52 carries on its top end a stop 63. FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5 show that-this stop is in contact with the cap 36 fixed to the rod 35 for the highest position occupied by the grid. 1

ln FIGS. 5 and 6, 64 is a spring-fixed by a pin 65 to the ring 47 and bearing on the bar 34. It inclines the ring 47 downwardly when the latter does not rest on the stud 53, contrary to what is shown in FIG. 5.

The machine functions as follows:

The lever 17 is first of all in its vertical position shown in FIG. l, for which the supporting columns 31 occupy their highest position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The piece of meat 50 to be tenderized is placed in position on the plate 11. The arm 17 is lowered and by means of the following parts causes the crossmember 32 to descendin a first downward movement;

' cranks 48, connecting rods 19, bar 45, stay plate 21-, motor 44, speed reducer 24, eccentric 26, connecting rod 28, lower crossmember 30 and supporting columns 31. Driven by their weight, the bar 34, rings 47, rods 35, frame 40'of the grid 55 also descend. This movement continues until the grid 55 comes into contact with the piece of meat 50 to be tenderized Due to its link connections, the frame 40 of the grid assumes a. front and rear inclined position which corresponds to that of the upper surface of the piece of meat. The machine then shows the configuration represented in FIG. 3.

The motor 44 is then started. By means of the eccentric 26 and the connecting rod 28 its rotation lowers still further the lower crossmember 30, and with it the supporting columns 31, the upper crossmember 32 and the blade plates, the blades penetrate the piece of meat to be tenderized and occupy the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. As will be seen, at least with the piece of meat 50 shown in the FIGS. no appreciable part of any blade is free between the grid and the piece of meat. These blades are, therefore, all well protected. When the rotation of the motor 44 continues, the blades ascend while moving out of the piece of meat. They tend to carry with them the piece of meat, which in its turn bears against the grid and tends to lift it, but, as shown in FIG. 4, f each ring 47 is inclined on its pin 46, it jams against the corresponding guide .column 52, and thus keeps the grid in place, and the machine reassumes its configuration shown in FIG. .3. But if the crossmember 32 carried with it a rod 35 in part of its first upward movement, the stops 63 would keep it in its correct final position during the end of this first part of the upward movement.

Finally, the lever 17 is returned to its original vertical position shown in FlG. 1. The crossmember 32 is caused to reascend by means of the parts 16, 19, 45, 21, 44, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 31. By means of the studs 53, the crossmember 32 rests on the rings 47, and given them a horizontal position in which they no longer rub against the columns 52, and the crossmember 32 may therefore continue to ascend, pushing in FIGS. 1 and 2; 1

The washer 62 forms part of a nut 66 screwed on the machined-down upper end of the rod 35, and the cap 36 is itself screwed on the nut66. The nut 66' permits the height of the rod 35 to be adjusted relative to the bar 34 so that the lower ends of the bladesare correctly positioned relatives to the bars 56 of the grid. By means of a catch 67, the cap 36 may be locked in its correct adjustment position. This catch is formed of a metal strip which is' adapted to be clamped against the rod 34 by means of a screw 68 and is terminated at its free end in a stud 69. The cap 36 has external notches. It is rotated until the stud 69 enters the appropriate notch, and then the fixing screw 68 is tightened.

lclaim: 1. A meat tenderizing machine comprising: a. a frame; b. a support surface arranged on said frame for holding a piece of meat; c. a guide column extending vertically above said support surface; d. a crosshead arranged above said support surface on said guide column; e. means for moving said crosshead vertically on said guide column;

f. an assembly of blades extending downward from said crosshead for moving toward and away from said support surface to pierce and tenderize meat on said support surface;

g. a grill having bars extending closely between said blades and movable vertically relative to said blades;

h. a rod movable vertically in said crosshead;

i. means for connecting said grill to the lower end of said rod;

j. a ring closely encircling said guide column for sliding and .binding engagement with said guide column;

k. means for mounting said ring on said rod;

l. means for pivoting said ring in a vertical plane relative to said rod;

m. a spring arranged for biasing said ring downward to allow said rod to slide freely downward relative to said column and to bind said ring on said column to prevent upward movement of said rod relative to said column until said ring is lifted by said crosshead; and

n. abutment means fixed in place relative to said guide column and extending over said rod for limiting the upward travel of said rod.

2. The machine of claim 1 including an abutment surface on said crosshead arranged for engaging the free end of said ring.

3. The machine of claim 1 including a cap on the upper end of said rod arranged for engaging said abutment means.

4. The machine of claim 1 including a pair of said rods, a crossbar arranged above said crosshead and extending between and connecting said rods, and wherein said ring is mounted on said crossbar.

5. The machine of claim 4 wherein caps are arranged on the upper ends of said rods, and a pair of said abutment means is arranged for engaging said caps.

6. The machine of claim 5 including a pair of said guide columns arranged adjacent said rods, and one of said rings arranged on each end of said crossbar for encircling each respective one of said guide columns.

7. The machine of claim 6 wherein said abutment means are mounted on said guide columns.

8. The machine of claim 7 including two of said pairs of said guide columns, two of said pairs of said rods, two of said crossbars, and four of said rings arranged for encircling each respective one of said guide columns. 

1. A meat tenderizing machine comprising: a. a frame; b. a support surface arranged on said frame for holding a piece of meat; c. a guide column extending vertically above said support surface; d. a crosshead arranged above said support surface on said guide column; e. means for moving said crosshead vertically on said guide column; f. an assembly of blades extending downward from said crosshead for moving toward and away from said support surface to pierce and tenderize meat on said support surface; g. a grill having bars extending closely between said blades and movable vertically relative to said blades; h. a rod movable vertically in said crosshead; i. means for connecting said grill to the lower end of said rod; j. a ring closely encircling said guide column for sliding and binding engagement with said guide column; k. means for mounting said ring on said rod; l. means for pivoting said ring in a vertical plane relative to said rod; m. a spring arranged for biasing said ring downward to allow said rod to slide freely downward relative to said column and to bind said ring on said column to prevent upward movement of said rod relative to said column until said ring is lifted by said crosshead; and n. abutment means fixed in place relative to said guide column and extending over said rod for limiting the upward travel of said rod.
 2. The machine of claim 1 including an abutment surface on said crosshead arranged for engaging the free end of said ring.
 3. The machine of claim 1 including a cap on the upper end of said rod arranged for engaging said abutment means.
 4. The machine of claim 1 including a pair of said rods, a crossbar arranged above said crosshead and extending between and connecting said rods, and wherein said ring is mounted on said crossbar.
 5. The machine of claim 4 wherein caps are arranged on the upper ends of said rods, and a pair of said abutment means is arranged for engaging said caps.
 6. The machine of claim 5 including a pair of said guide columns arranged adjacent said rods, and one of said rings arranged on each end of said crossbar for encircling each respective one of said guide columns.
 7. The machine of claim 6 wherein said abutment means are mounted on said guide columns.
 8. The machine of claim 7 including two of said pairs of said guide columns, two of said pairs of said rods, two of said crossbars, and four of said rings arranged for encircling each respective one of said guide columns. 